The Moros as a Political Factor in Philippine Independence

ik PPROXIMATELY 14 per cent of the area of the Philippine Islands, including some of the territory richest in resources in the Archipelago, recognized and coveted as such by the majority group, is occupied by slightly less than 4 per cent of the population, the Moros. The problem is complicated by centuries-old religious and political antagonisms. It has even been asserted that the Moros are a powerful threat to the stability of the emerging Philippine nation. This is the view of nationalistic Moros, some retired American army officers, historians, interested business men, professional indignantarians, and almost all who favor American retention of the Islands. The exactly opposite view, that the Moros are potentially no problem at all, is stoutly defended by Christian Filipinos, some retired American army officers, historians, interested business men, and almost all who believe they would be benefited by complete Philippine independence. Looking at the past alone, retentionists who have expressed themselves on the Problem predict such violent rebelliousness that the foundations of the young republic would be battered in the effort to maintain order. The anti-retentionists, concentrating on present realities, assert that nothing of the sort will happen. Both schools are right, but for the wrong reasons. It is a question of perspective and definition. The following brief appraisal of the ethnic, religious, and economic factors involved, is an attempt to reveal the true political scope of the Moro problem. The 65oooo Moros (out of a total Island population of i6,oooooo) are concentrated in the lower half of the Archipelago on a chain of islands stretching from 40 30' to io N. latitude. There are three natural geographic divisions: (i) Mindanao; (2) Basilan-directly south of Zamboanga; (3) the Sulu sub-archipelago to the southwest, comprising the main island of Jolo (or Sulu) and some 300 islets

Factor (programming language) · Independence (probability theory) · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Statistics · Computer Science · Law · Mathematics · Philippine History and Culture

• “A New West in Mindanao”

  Open Access•Oliver Charbonneau•The Journal of the Gilded Age and…•2019

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